Spectroscopic evidence for selenium(IV) dimerization in aqueous solution

Kinetics and Mechanism of Selenium(IV) Oxidation by Aqueous Bromine Solution

The bromine-selenite reaction at strongly acidic conditions was investigated by monitoring the absorbance-time traces at the isosbestic point of the bromine-tribromide system at a constant ionic strength (0.5 M adjusted by sodium perchlorate) and temperature. Despite the simplicity of the stoichiometry, the kinetics was found to be very complex. Although the formal kinetic orders of the reactants bromine and selenite are strictly 1, that of the hydrogen ion varies from -2 to less than -3 and notably depends on the initial bromide concentration as well. The bromide ion also inhibits the reaction, making the whole system as a sound example of efficient autoinhibition. We have clearly shown that the inhibitory effect of the bromide ion cannot be explained quantitatively by either exclusively considering the unreactivity of the tribromide ion over elemental bromine or driving the reaction via hypobromous acid formed from the well-known hydrolysis of bromine in aqueous solutions. Instead of that, bromonium ion transfer initiating equilibrium is suggested between the selenium(IV) and bromine species to produce bromide ion and SeO₃Br^- followed by the hydrolysis of this short-lived intermediate. This hydrolytic transformation was found to be catalytic with respect to hydroxide and bromide ions as well. We have also demonstrated that, among the wide variety of selenium species present in the acidic aqueous solution, the best result can be obtained by considering HSeO₃ ^- as the kinetically active species toward bromine. The proposed mechanism containing 10 acid-base equilibria with known equilibrium constants, the above-mentioned initiating equilibrium, and the hydrolysis of SeO₃Br^- is able to fit all 49 kinetic absorbance-traces simultaneously, taking into account properly the most important characteristics of the measured data at strongly acidic conditions. Furthermore, this kinetic model was further extended by the direct reactions of hypobromous acid with selenium(IV) species suggested previously with reasonably modified rate coefficients to describe the pH dependence of the apparent second-order rate coefficients over the pH = 1-13 range, providing a useful tool to predict more accurately the kinetic behavior of selenium(IV) species in water treatment process conditions.

Synthesis and crystal structure of two novel polymorphs of (NaCl)[Cu(HSeO3)2]: a further contribution to the family of layered copper hydrogen selenites

Crystals of two new polymorphic forms of the known compound (NaCl)[Cu(HSeO3)2], which we term polymorphs II and III, were formed after a ca. one-year dwelling of a crystalline precipitate under mother liquor and upon crystallization in the presence of K+, respectively. Both structures belong to the “layered copper hydroselenite” family. The polymorph II is a structural analog of (KCl)[Cu(HSeO3)2] with a fully ordered Na+ site; the main difference concerns the environment of Cu2+ which is more regular in (NaCl)[Cu(HSeO3)2]-II. In contrast to some expectations, crystallization from solutions containing KCl. NaCl, CuCl2, and H2SeO3 upon evaporation does not result in formation of mixed (Na1−x K x Cl)[Cu(HSeO3)2] crystals, but rather in a separate crystallization of (KCl)[Cu(HSeO3)2] and (NaCl)[Cu(HSeO3)2]-III which exhibits a complex structure with four ordered and one disordered Na+ sites. It is possible that longer crystallization times enhance formation of ordered structures.

MoSe2 Nanoflowers for Highly Efficient Industrial Wastewater Treatment with Zero Discharge

Water pollution is one of the leading causes of death and disease worldwide, yet mitigating it remains a challenge. This paper presents an efficient new strategy for the processing of wastewater utilizing an accessible redox reaction with MoSe2 nanoflowers, which shows a strong oxidizing ability and permits the decomposition of dye molecules in dark environments without the need for an external power source. This reaction can treat wastewater at a decomposition rate above 0.077 min-1 , even when interacting with organic pollutants at concentrations up to 1500 ppm. Theoretical calculations by Dmol3 simulation elucidates that the reactions proceed spontaneously, and the kinetic constant (kobs ) for this redox reaction with 10 ppm RhB dye is 0.53 min-1 , which is 65 times faster than the titanium dioxide photocatalytic wastewater treatment. More importantly, the residual waste solution can be further utilized as a precursor to reconstruct the MoSe2 nanoflowers. To demonstrate the effectiveness and reusability, the treated effluent is directly used as the sole source of irrigated water for plants with no adverse effect. This method offers an eco-friendly and more accessible way to treat industrial wastewater with zero-discharge.

Green Synthesis of Selenium Nanoparticles by Cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis (abdf2224): Cultivation Condition Quality Controls

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) are well-known bioactive compounds. Various chemical and biological methods have been applied to SeNP synthesis. Spirulina platensis is a widely used blue-green microalgae in various industries. In this study, the biosynthesis of SeNPs using sodium selenite and Spirulina platens has been developed. The SeNP synthesis was performed at different cultivation condition including pH and illumination schedule variation. The SeNPs were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, size, and zeta potential measurements, and the antioxidant activities of selected SeNPs were evaluated by DPPH and FRAP assays. FT-IR analysis showed the production of SeNPs. The 12 h dark/12 h light cycles and continuous light exposure at pH 5 led to the production of stable SeNPs with sizes of 145 ± 6 and 171 ± 13 nm, respectively. Antioxidant activity of selected SeNPs was higher than sodium selenite. It seems that green synthesis is a safe method to produce SeNPs as well as a convenient method to scale-up this production.

Raman Microspectroscopic Analysis of Selenium Bioaccumulation by Green Alga Chlorella vulgaris

Selenium (Se) is an element with many commercial applications as well as an essential micronutrient. Dietary Se has antioxidant properties and it is known to play a role in cancer prevention. However, the general population often suffers from Se deficiency. Green algae, such as Chlorella vulgaris, cultivated in Se-enriched environment may be used as a food supplement to provide adequate levels of Se. We used Raman microspectroscopy (RS) for fast, reliable, and non-destructive measurement of Se concentration in living algal cells. We employed inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry as a reference method to RS and we found a substantial correlation between the Raman signal intensity at 252 cm⁻¹ and total Se concentration in the studied cells. We used RS to assess the uptake of Se by living and inactivated algae and demonstrated the necessity of active cellular transport for Se accumulation. Additionally, we observed the intracellular Se being transformed into an insoluble elemental form, which we further supported by the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy imaging.

Li2(Se2O5)(H2O)1.5·CuCl2, a salt-inclusion diselenite structurally based on tetranuclear Li4 complexes

A new lithium copper diselenite chloride hydrate, Li₂Se₂O₅(H₂O)_1.5·CuCl₂, was prepared from aqueous solution.

Copper hydroselenite nitrates (A +NO3) n [Cu(HSeO3)2] (A=Rb+, Cs+ and Tl+, n=1, 2) related to Ruddlesden – Popper phases

Three new layered copper hydrogen selenite nitrates, (ANO3)[Cu(HSeO3)2] (A = Cs, and Tl), and (RbNO3)2[Cu(HSeO3)2] have been prepared via isothermal evaporation of concentrated nitric acid solutions. The Tl and Cs compounds adopt a motif related to previously known (NH4Cl)[Cu(HSeO3)2]; the structure of the Rb compound represents a new structure type. The structures of (ANO3)[Cu(HSeO3)2] (A = Cs, Tl), (RbNO3)2[Cu(HSeO3)2], and (NH4NO3)3[Cu(HSeO3)2] form a unique homological series distantly related to Ruddlesden – Popper series of layered perovskites.

Selenium(IV) Sorption Onto γ-Al2O3: A Consistent Description of the Surface Speciation by Spectroscopy and Thermodynamic Modeling

The sorption processes of Se(IV) onto γ-Al₂O₃ were studied by in situ Infrared spectroscopy, batch sorption studies, zeta potential measurements and surface complexation modeling (SCM) in the pH range from 5 to 10. In situ attenuated total reflection fourier-transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy revealed the predominant formation of a single inner-sphere surface species at the alumina surface, supporting previously reported EXAFS results, irrespective of the presence or absence of atmospherically derived carbonate. The adsorption of Se(IV) decreased with increasing pH, and no impact of the ionic strength was observed in the range from 0.01 to 0.1 mol L^-1 NaCl. Inner-sphere surface complexation was also suggested from the shift of the isoelectric point of γ-Al₂O₃ observed during zeta potential measurements when Se(IV) concentration was 10^-4 mol L^-1. Based on these qualitative findings, the acid-base surface properties of γ-Al₂O₃ and the Se(IV) adsorption edges were successfully described using a 1-pK CD-MUSIC model, considering one bidentate surface complex based on previous EXAFS results. The results of competitive sorption experiments suggested that the surface affinity of Se(IV) toward γ-Al₂O₃ is higher than that of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Nevertheless, from the in situ experiments, we suggest that the presence of DIC might transiently impact the migration of Se(IV) by reducing the number of available sorption sites on mineral surfaces. Consequently, this should be taken into account in predicting the environmental fate of Se(IV).